§ MR. LABOUCHEREsaid, he would beg to ask the Vice President of the Committee of Council on Education, how it is proposed to deal with the Lessees of ancient Chartered Cattle Markets which have been compulsorily closed by Orders of the Privy Council under Cattle Diseases Prevention Acts, who have lost the profit derivable from their markets, and yet have been and still are obliged to pay rents until the termination of their leases, calculated upon such profits?
§ LORD ROBERT MONTAGUExcept within a short distance of London, no markets are refused, unless on account of actual cattle plague. Within a day's march of London markets have not been allowed, because of the facility of walking animals out of London to the market. After August I, however, regulations will come in force in the metropolis which are more strict and certain in their effect. 169 Cattle taken to the Metropolitan Market must be moved to it under the authority of a licence, which is numbered and marked according to the police division. There will then be a ledger account against each butcher, as having received so many passes from the market to the slaughter-house. These passes will record the number and mark of the licence under which the cattle came to the market. When, after slaughter, the butcher returns the passes to "the nearest police station," these passes will be credited against his name. For instance, A moves forty beasts to market under a licence marked with a certain mark. Then B gets a pass for thirty, and C a pass for ten of them, which passes are marked in a similar way. In this manner we shall be able to trace every animal which goes to market. Besides all this, after August 1, all foreign cattle will be branded on landing. There will, therefore, be very little danger in allowing markets near London after these regulations have come into force.
§ MR. LABOUCHEREsaid, that what he particularly wished to know was, what course was to be taken with respect to the money which had been already lost by the persons in question?
§ LORD ROBERT MONTAGUsupposed the hon. Gentleman referred to some compensation to be given to those persons; but he must remind him that the Government had no funds at their disposal for that purpose. If the House were willing to vote the necessary sum of money the Government would, of course, deem it to be their duty to administer it.